Friday, 15 May 2009

It is like veg-out TV for the body, but not for the brain. So what is The Weakest Link and how is it presented to us. There is a team of nine contestants, each battling for a money prize, the amount which depends on how the game play goes. Now what I am not going to do is try to explain how this works. After all these years I still haven't got the detail correct as to how this is worked out.

The contestants are behind small podiums and arranged in a crescent around the quiz master Anne Robinson. More on her later.

In the first round Anne works her way around the contestants in turn firing a question at each, and starting again in order if the time hasn't run out.

At the end of the each round one of the contestants will be voted out as the weakest link, with the next round having one less competitor than the previous, until it gets down to two, where they will play a normal round and then go up against each other in a five question first past the post play-off for the winner. A tie results in a tie-break.

Simple ehh? But, the contestants have Anne Robinson to deal with.

Boy she is a harsh so-and-so. Not only during the rounds, but she really comes to life she will pick on you. She will make a complete idiot of you. If you are overweight, not particularly good looking, or even if you are attractive, you are going to be the butt of her acid tongue.

If you haven't come out the closet yet, she will out you. She will make you sing, dance and perform any other talent you claim to have.

Anne Robinson can do anyone down, but, from time to time she does meet her match and this is worth watching just to see her dropping a peg or two.

So, this is a great quiz programme. It is straight and to the point. It also has the amusing moments which Anne, love her or hate her, does well.